Are Divine Orbs Basic Currency in Path of Exile?
No, Divine Orbs are not considered basic currency in Path of Exile (PoE). While they are an essential and heavily traded item, their high value and scarcity place them in the category of premium or high-tier currency. Basic currencies in PoE, like Chaos Orbs and Orb of Fusing, are far more common and have lower individual value, serving as the foundational trading blocks within the game’s economy. Divine Orbs, on the other hand, are used for more significant crafting and trading, representing a substantial investment for players.
The Value and Rarity of Divine Orbs
The key factor distinguishing basic from premium currency is accessibility and function. Basic currencies are plentiful, readily available through regular gameplay, and used frequently for low-to-mid-tier crafting and trading. Divine Orbs are different; they are rarely found as loot, making them highly sought after. Their primary function is to re-roll the numerical values of modifiers on items. This functionality is crucial for optimizing builds and creating powerful endgame equipment, explaining why players are willing to pay a premium for them.
Why are Divine Orbs So Valuable?
Several factors contribute to the high value of Divine Orbs:
- Limited Sources: Unlike Chaos Orbs, which drop more frequently and can be obtained through vendor recipes, Divine Orbs have a more limited pool of acquisition methods. They primarily drop from monsters, chests, and Arcanist’s Strongboxes, making them harder to consistently farm.
- Crafting Utility: Divine Orbs are a necessary component for rerolling the affix values on already powerful items. The value of an item with perfect rolls is substantially higher than those with average rolls. This need in endgame crafting drives the demand, increasing their market value.
- Shifted Economy: In previous iterations of Path of Exile, Exalted Orbs were the premier currency. However, the game’s developers, Grinding Gear Games (GGG), shifted this role to the Divine Orb, making it the new standard for high-value trading.
- Absence of Easy Vendor Recipes: While Exalted Orbs can, in some rare instances, be acquired through specific vendor recipes, there is no such reliable option for Divine Orbs. This lack of a consistent non-drop source further reinforces their rarity and, consequently, their price.
Divine Orbs vs. Chaos Orbs
While both Divine Orbs and Chaos Orbs play a role in crafting, their uses and value are significantly different. Chaos Orbs are used to reroll all modifiers on a rare item, offering a more drastic change. They are abundant, making them an everyday currency for rerolling item affixes and bartering. Divine Orbs are used to refine existing modifier rolls, aiming to achieve perfect, or near-perfect, numerical values on an item’s affixes. This specific purpose and scarcity place Divine Orbs in a completely different tier compared to the basic functionality of Chaos Orbs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 15 frequently asked questions to provide additional clarity and information regarding Divine Orbs in Path of Exile:
1. How Much is a Divine Orb Worth?
The value of a Divine Orb fluctuates based on the current market, but it consistently maintains a high price. Currently, 1 Divine Orb can be worth between 16 and 245 Chaos Orbs, depending on the time within a league. Earlier in a league, demand is high and prices tend towards the higher end of the range, but over time prices become more balanced.
2. How Do I Obtain Divine Orbs?
Divine Orbs can be obtained through various means:
- Dropping from Monsters: This is the most common method but has a very low drop rate.
- Chests and Destructible Containers: Similar to monsters, these also provide a chance for Divine Orbs to drop.
- Arcanist’s Strongboxes: These special chests often contain more valuable currency items, including Divine Orbs.
- Trading with Other Players: This is the most reliable way to get Divine Orbs, but it requires having valuable items or currencies to trade.
3. What are Divine Orbs Used For?
Divine Orbs are primarily used for rerolling the numerical values of modifiers on rare, magic, or unique items. This allows players to fine-tune the stats on their gear, achieving maximum effectiveness.
4. Do Divine Orbs Change the Affix Tiers?
No, a Divine Orb will not change the tier of an affix. It will only re-roll the numerical value within its current tier. For example, if an affix is in the highest tier, using a divine orb will reroll within the bounds of that tier.
5. What is the Drop Rate of Divine Orbs?
The drop rate of Divine Orbs is approximately 0.055%. This highlights their extreme rarity, as players must farm for a long time to obtain them naturally.
6. What is the Relationship Between Divine and Exalted Orbs?
Divine and Exalted Orbs have the same base drop rate. However, Divine Orbs are worth significantly more due to the lack of easy vendor recipes and their importance in optimizing high-end gear. In the past Exalted Orbs were the premium currency, but this has been changed by the game developers.
7. Why Did Path of Exile Shift to Divine Orbs as the Primary Currency?
The shift to Divine Orbs as the premium currency was designed to balance the game’s economy. The change made Divine Orbs more valuable, promoting more trade within the game and making high-end equipment acquisition more balanced.
8. Are Divine Orbs More Common in Certain Maps?
While the overall drop rate of Divine Orbs remains consistent, certain map bosses, such as The Doctor in the Spider Forest map, have a slightly higher chance to drop valuable currency, including Divine Orbs, due to their base item rarity. Additionally, using map modifiers like increased item quantity will increase your chances of getting a Divine Orb.
9. Can You Reroll the Values of Unique Items with Divine Orbs?
Yes, you can reroll the values of unique items using Divine Orbs. This only affects the values of the modifiers themselves and not the actual stats or modifiers.
10. How Does a Divine Orb Affect Legacy Unique Items?
When a Divine Orb is used on a legacy version of a unique item, the affixes will re-roll to the new range of values defined in the current version of the game. This is important for players who have older, less powerful versions of unique items.
11. What is Mirror of Kalandra and How Does it Relate to Divine Orbs?
Mirror of Kalandra is the rarest and most valuable currency item in the game. It is a powerful currency that is used to duplicate an item. While it was in the past able to be used in a recipe alongside a divine orb to downgrade it’s effect, that is no longer the case.
12. What is the Difference Between Divine and Chaos Orbs in Crafting?
Chaos Orbs reroll all modifiers on an item, while Divine Orbs reroll the values of the modifiers. Chaos orbs are used to get the mods you want, and divine orbs are used to make those mods as powerful as possible.
13. Is There a Vendor Recipe for Divine Orbs?
No, there is no reliable vendor recipe to obtain Divine Orbs. This is a key factor in their high value and scarcity, as they are primarily found through regular gameplay.
14. How Does Item Quantity (IIQ) and Item Rarity (IIR) Affect Divine Orb Drops?
Completing maps with increased item quantity (IIQ) and item rarity (IIR) modifiers will significantly increase the number of item drops overall and therefore your chances of obtaining a Divine Orb. While IIQ directly improves the odds of any item dropping, IIR increases the chances of higher tier item drops, thus potentially increasing your chances of getting a divine orb.
15. Are Divine Orbs Considered “Safe” Currency?
While the term “safe” doesn’t directly apply to in-game currency, Divine Orbs are considered a stable and reliable currency due to their high value and utility. As one of the top currencies in the game, their value is relatively stable compared to less sought after and lower value currencies.
Conclusion
While Divine Orbs are integral to the Path of Exile experience, they are not considered a basic currency. Their rarity, value, and specific function place them in a higher category, serving as a cornerstone of the high-end economy. Players should always be mindful of their importance and plan accordingly. Understanding the nuances of their utility and trade value is essential for anyone looking to reach the pinnacle of their character’s potential within the game.